Hafodyrynys is a village on the

A472 road List of A roads in zone 4 in Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European isla ...

between Pontypool and Crumlin in

Caerphilly county borough Caerphilly County Borough ( cy, Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It is governed by Caerphilly County Borough Council. Its main and largest town is Caerphilly. Other towns in the county borough are B ...

, south-east

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

. It lies within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. The village is served by an

inn Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway; before the advent of motorized transportation they also provided accommo ...

, a takeaway, a rugby club and car wash/valet service. As of 2008 a new housing estate has been completed on the western periphery of the village. Since 2017, the upward climb on the A472 through Hafodyrynys has been measured as Wales' most polluted road. In 2021, following extensive investigation and compulsory purchase of the affected properties, the terraced housing directly on the A472 was demolished due to the level of air pollution observed on the road. The village was served by the Taff Vale Extension of the

Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway The Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway was a railway company formed to connect the places in its name. When it sought Parliamentary authorisation, it was denied the southern section, and obliged to use the Monmouthshire Railway between P ...

. This ran from Pontypool to Crumlin and beyond. The 280-yard Glyn Tunnel in the village enabled the line to avoid the highest ground as it proceeded towards the Crumlin Viaduct, via Hafodyrynys Platform railway station to the west of the village. Passenger services ceased on 15 June 1964 as a result of the

Beeching cuts The Beeching cuts (also Beeching Axe) was a plan to increase the efficiency of the nationalised railway system in Great Britain. The plan was outlined in two reports: ''The Reshaping of British Railways'' (1963) and ''The Development of the M ...

, though coal traffic continued. Crumlin Viaduct was closed and then dismantled from 1967 onwards, resulting in coal from the colliery being extracted via the junction with the

Ebbw Valley Railway The Ebbw Valley Railway ( cy, Rheilffordd Cwm Ebwy) is a branch line of the South Wales Main Line in South Wales. Transport for Wales Rail provides an hourly passenger service each way between Ebbw Vale Town and Cardiff Central, and an hou ...

Hafodyrynys Colliery

Hafodyrynys Colliery was located east of the village. The first record of it is in the List of Mines for 1878–1880. There is no record of it again until 1911, when a new shaft was sunk. The mine was actively worked from 1914 until 1966. It was redeveloped by the NCB in the 1950s at a cost of £5,500,000, including the creation of new drifts. These linked Hafodyryns to coal production at the new Glyntillery drift, Tirpentwys Colliery, and the nearby Glyn Pits which did not produce coal but were used for pumping and ventilation. Despite this large investment, and the extensive new washery facilities, it never fully lived up to production expectations. The mine closed in 1966 but the washery continued to process coal from the others, brought underground and raised through the Glyntillery drift. Tirpentwys also ceased to produce coal in 1968. From 1969, Tirpentwys was used to route coal from Blaenserchan Colliery beyond it and to Hafodyrynys. Glyntillery ceased to produce coal in 1975 and from 1977, Blaenserchan's coal was instead raised through Abertillery Colliery. The site was cleared in 1985, but the circular slimes settling tank of the washery was retained at the request of the landowner, Sir Richard Hanbury-Tenison. Today the remains of the washery are a listed building and mark the site of the mine.

References

External links

Hafodyrynys Colliery - Northern Mine Research Societywww.geograph.co.uk : photos of Hafodyrynys and surrounding areaHafodyrynys RFC Sports & Welfare
{{authority control Villages in Caerphilly County Borough